As a homeowner, have you ever made an investment or upgrade to your property that others seem to question? Your home is your castle to do with what you want, but in making the right upgrades and investment choices for your home, you won’t just enjoy short-term benefits. You’ll be adding to the resale value of your home as well. Some of these upgrade choices that can increase home worth aren’t immediately obvious. Some may even seem counterintuitive. Read on to learn how to pick investments that everyone considers a winner.

· Have Your Home’s Interior Professionally Painted

Yes, it’s a good deal cheaper to buy the supplies and paint those rooms yourself, but despite those hardware store commercials that make DIY painting look fun and effortless, most efforts look fairly amateur. And even if rooms are painted in neutral colors, potential buyers can be turned off by the appearance of a home in general by badly painted rooms. Other advantages of working with professional painters include speed, avoiding damage, and getting guidance on paint choices that are easy to maintain and durable.

· Professional Landscaping Services

No, you’re not lazy in seeking the services of a professional landscaping company. Regular attention from the pros means a healthy yard that discourages invasions from undesirable plants and prevents erosion. The assistance of landscapers means that planted trees and newly established gardens are more likely to survive and flourish, providing an attractive outdoor eyeful to prospective buyers. It’s a good start to help your home for years to come.

· Installing A Home Security System

If you live in a quiet and crime-free neighborhood, there may not seem to be a practical need to install a home security system. But unfortunately, these neighborhoods are very popular with thieves. And in addition to deterring or catching burglars, home security systems have features that detect and report fires as well as summon emergency services for impaired members of the household in an emergency. Some even have added head sensing smoke detectors that can alert you before a fire starts.

· Simple Upgrades

If you’re planning to invest in remodeling in order to sell your home, you might as well go big, right? Actually, a 2015 study conducted by Remodeling Magazine revealed that prospective buyers found smaller upgrades more attractive than large ones. So before installing that granite kitchen island, perhaps consider simply repainting those kitchen cabinets instead.

· Professionally Refinished Floors

Wall to wall carpeting is so 1980s. And if refinishing floors wasn’t easy, why do those stores rent sanders? But it should be noted that work done with this equipment by DIYers has resulted in everything from badly uneven surfaces to house fires. Not only do professionally done floors look fabulous, they guarantee floor preservation for decades, not to mention protecting the rest of the house.

“Bad” home investments are ones that threaten lives or property. They are ones that drain bank accounts without offering returns or pleasure. Otherwise, well-educated homeowners should be willing to boldly explore a variety of investment options for their property.